We’re excited to welcome Niki Riga as the new Social Media Manager at Norway Chess!

Niki’s path in chess has been anything but ordinary. She first entered the chess world as a player and arbiter, before discovering her creative side behind the camera. Starting out as a photographer, she quickly expanded into design and video, combining formats to bring ches stories to life.

Her work has taken her across the biggest stages of the game, including several World Championship cycles, where she captured and created content as both photographer and storyteller. Most notably, during her time as Head of Social Media at FIDE, she grew the federation’s channels by more than 85% in just 18 months, reaching over 70 million organic impressions and views.

More recently, Niki was part of the Norway Chess media team behind one of the most viral chess clips ever: Magnus Carlsen’s unforgettable table slam.

To get to know her better, we asked Niki a few quick questions:

What made you excited to join the Norway Chess team?
What excites me most is the innovation of Norway Chess and the way it approaches the game. My role is to connect that with the public,  to show how engaging, exciting, and approachable the game of chess and the tournament itself is for everyone, from lifelong chess fans to newcomers.

You’ve created some of chess’s most viral online moments. What’s most important to you when engaging fans?
To put it simply, my approach to social media is all about innovation, education, and entertainment.

And finally, when you’re not working with chess, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Outside of chess, I enjoy music, cooking, pilates, swimming, concerts, theatre, and spending time with my two cats. I’m also currently learning to play the keyboard!

Niki has already brought fresh ideas and viral moments to Norway Chess, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Join us in giving her a warm welcome to the Norway Chess team!